Fit To Be Tried--pilates Draws Diverse Devotees

The Method Invented During Wwi Becomes A Modern Phenomenon.

January 30, 2000|By Virginia Groark, Tribune Staff Writer.

Inside the walls of an English prison camp during World War I, Joseph Pilates, a German-born boxer who was fascinated with fitness, made an interesting discovery. By attaching springs to hospital beds, he was able to create an exercise apparatus with variable resistance.

More than 80 years later, that discovery, along with other specialized movements he developed in the prison camp, is the foundation of the latest exercise craze in the United States.

The Pilates Method, named for its founder, has swept the nation, drawing people from step classes--where jumping to the heavy bass beat of hip-hop music is the norm--to quiet studios where students concentrate on executing precise movements designed to build strength and flexibility.

The exercise phenomenon is attracting devotees ranging from members of the San Francisco 49ers football team to senior citizens and everyday people seeking to remold their bodies in the winter.

And they swear by the results.

"People come up to me and say `You look taller, you look leaner, what have you been doing?' " said Cheryl Ivey, a certified Pilates instructor who teaches at the Evanston Athletic Club.

The draw, according to those who partake in Pilates (pronounced pul-LAH-teez), is the precision of the movements, which require constant focus and exercise of the mind as well as the body. Devotees also like the workout's low-impact nature.

"I just don't want to jump around anymore because you do take a toll on your knees," said Vida Wackerling of Evanston, who used to do aerobics.

The concept of the exercise is to build a person's core or powerhouse, the area that begins at the bottom of the rib cage and ends at the hip line. By strengthening the abdomen, lower back and buttocks, the rest of the body is able to move freely, gracefully, followers say.

In a country obsessed with exercise, popular fitness methods change as quickly as Christmas toy crazes. In the past 20 years, the "ultimate" has ranged from the Jane Fonda workout to Billy Blanks' Tae-Bo.

As for Pilates, it has a more unusual history than most.

Joseph Pilates was born in 1880 near Dusseldorf, Germany. His interest in exercise stemmed from ailments he suffered as a child. Determined to become strong, Pilates spent years studying everything from yoga and martial arts to ancient Greek and Roman exercises. His efforts helped him become an accomplished diver, gymnast and boxer.

In 1912, Pilates traveled to England to work as a boxer and a circus performer. But when World War I broke out, Pilates was interned in prison camps because of his German citizenship.

Instead of remaining idle, Pilates continued his study of exercise regimens and imparted his knowledge to other detainees. Afterward, he boasted that none of the prisoners who performed his exercises died during the influenza epidemic that killed thousands in England in 1918.

After the war, Pilates immigrated to the United States to assist in a training program for boxer Max Schmeling. On the boat trip to America, he met his future wife, Clara, and together they opened the Pilates studio on 8th Avenue in New York City.

Pilates' reputation quickly spread, and soon he was training everyone from boxers and gymnasts to ice skaters, circus performers and New York socialites.

But it was the dancers, many of whom were exposed to the regimen by George Balanchine, the artistic director of the nearby New York City Ballet, who carried the movement. Thrilled by the exercise program's ability to build strength and flexibility without adding bulky muscles, dancers kept using the Pilates method long after its founder died in the 1960s.

The recent attention among the public is due to the efforts of Sean P. Gallagher, a physical therapist who bought the Pilates trademark in 1992. By opening training studios across the country and abroad, he has boosted its popularity in the past five years and received the endorsements of entertainers, including Madonna.

Though Pilates Inc. is now grossing $1 million annually, it still operates at a deficit, Gallagher said. Most of the expenses are associated with defending the Pilates trademark from copycats trying to "jump on the bandwagon" by offering Pilates-like classes even though they haven't been properly trained, Gallagher said.

"One of the things I say is the equipment is only as good as the teacher, and the teacher is only as good as the training, and we are the source of the training," he said.

The training is an extensive program offered by Pilates Inc. that can take about a year to complete. At least 45 hours of individual classes are required for application to the program. Even then, applicants must provide references and a resume before enrolling in the program, which costs $3,200 and spans 600 hours, plus seminars.

They must pass three tests and take 10 hours of private lessons before becoming certified. Annual courses are required for recertification, Gallagher said.